Current-wheel



(No Model.)

W. PARK.

CURRENT WHEEL.

No. 546,185. Patented Sept 10, 1895.

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WVILLIAM PARK, OF FREDONIA, NEW YORK.

CURRENT-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,185, dated September 10, 1895.

Application filed March '7, 1895- Serial No. 540,851: (No model.)

To call whom it J-nay concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fredonia, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gurrent wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to current-wheels which derive rotary movement'from the flow of a body of water, such as a river, or from the alternate ebb and flow of the tides.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide a current-wheel of simple and cheap construction, which shall be capable of use in any stream and either at the top, the bottom, or between said points, and in either a perpendicular or a horizontal arrangement of its axis, said wheels being capable of use singly or in any multiple, which can be geared together or connected to a counter-shaft.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide a current-wheel having such construction that it may be located in a stream and shall meet with no material obstruction from ice or flood-wood, and shall be capable. of receiving ordinary repairs without suspendin g the operation of other and similar currentwheels which communicate power to the same counter-shaft.

The invention consists in the several novel features of construction and new combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and then particularly pointed out and defined in the claim which concludes this specification.

To enable others to fully understand my invention I will now proceed to describe the same in det-ail,refereuce being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end elevation of a currentwheel in which my invention is incorporated. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a slight modification in construction.

The reference-numeral l in said drawings indicates the frame of the current-whee], which is of suitable metal or other material and mounted upon a shaft or axis 2. The frame is of skeleton form, and for the sake of lightness and strength I prefer to construct it in the manner shown, in which said frame consists of two parallel bars 3, extending equally upon both sides of the axis and connected together at their ends and at points between. A second and similar pair of parallel bars cross the first pair at right angles and are connected in like manner. The shaft 2 is rigidly secured to both at the point of intersection. Two pairs of parallel bars 4 are arranged at the middle point of the shaft 2, and braces 5, parallel with the shaft, connect 'the extremities, while similar and parallel braces 6 are rigidly secured between each pair at a point between the end and the shaft. This construction affords a frame having but little weight, but possessing a high degree of strength and rigidity. Upon each of the braces 5, connecting the extremities of the parallel bars, are mounted two wings 7, having loops 8, which connect them to said brace in such manner that they may turn thereon in either direction and independently of each other. Each wing is perfectly flat and consists of a thin plate of suitable metal or other material. The loops 8 are placed upon one side of the central line of the plate, so that when turned in one direction more than half its surface will extend beyond or outside of the brace 5, and when turned in the opposite direction a correspondingly-diminished portion will extend outside the braces. In either position the plates are held in radial lines by the portions which press against the intermediate braces 6. They are entirely free, however, to turn in either direction under any force which is sufficient to control their position. A current-wheel having this construction may be placed horizontally or perpendicularly. The wings or plates 7 when moving with the current are held flat against the radial members of the frame, but when moving against the current they will simply lie in the line of its flow, turning upon the brace 5 as the wheel moves until they again begin to move with or in the direction pursued by the current. As soon as said wings feel the pressure of the current they are again pressed flat against the radial members of the frame in position to utilize the entire force of the current. On the other hand, when moving against the current, the wings present their edges only to the oppositely-moving water, and being thin and flat they ofifer, practically, no obstruction to the movement of the wheel. Turning readily upon their supports they maintain their align ment with the flow of the water until they arrive at the point where their movement with the current again begins. The frame being a mere skeleton,'offers little resistance, and the construction shown enables me to utilize very nearly the entire dynamic force of the current. The power derived may beincreased almost without limit by simply adding more sections to the wheel or by multiplying the number of such wheels and gearing each separately to the driven shaft.

These wheels are readily and cheaply repaired, as any one of theindependent sections can be quickly hoisted out and replaced without interfering with others. They are free from danger of injury by ice and flood-wood, as they may be placed at the bottom of the stream and in any position or they can be used as overshot or undershot wheels, as well as currentwheels. They may be used, also, in a tideway. The manner of maintaining the wings 7 may be Varied. For example, in Fig. 3 I have shown them connected to the brace 5 at or quite near the edge of the wing. It is evident that the point of attachment may be varied, as desired, provided it is not exactly in the central line of the wing. If necessary, the radial members of the frame of the wheel may be braced, as shown in Fig. 1. I have Stated that the wheel may be used when undershot or overshot, as well as a submerged current-wheel. It will readily be understood that when a plurality of such wheels are used in a horizontal position, all imparting power to the same driven shaft, it will be necessary to have such an arrangement, either by gearing or by being undershot or overshot, that all said wheels shall impart revolution in the same direction.

\Vhat I claim is- A current-wheel composed of a shaft, radial arms formed by parallel bars one upon each side of the shaft, said bars being rigidly connected at their ends and between the latter and shaft, braces parallel with the shaft and attached to the radial arms at the points where the parallel bars are connected together, and flat wings having pivotal non-central support upon the braces connecting the ends of the radial arms and adapted to lie against and be supported by the braces between the shaft and the ends of said radial arms, substantially as described.

:1 testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and aftixed my seal in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VILLIAM PARK.

Witnesses:

F. R. GREEN, E. M. COREY. 

